Oil-conserving system for internal-combustion engines



Sept. 22, 1925.

Y c. s. CLARK OIL CONSERVING SYSTEM FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed Dec. 11, 1925 @uuautoz Carl e/1. 215 5 (/an $13 I (flu-0m Patented Sept. 22, 1925.

UNITED STATES.

CORNELIUS s. oman, or meme, VIRGINIA.

OIL-CONSERVING SYSTEM roa im'nrmnn-comauszrlon' ENGINES.

Application filed December 11,1928. Serial No. 680,030.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CORNELIUS S. CLARK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Norfolk, in the county of Norfolk andState of Virginia, have invented new and useful Improvements in Oil-Conserving Systems for Internal-Combustion Engines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to oil conserving systems for internal combustion engines, and particularly those used for driving auto vehicles. 1 Y

It has for its object the avoidance of carbonization in the combustion chambers of such engines due to the pumping of oil past the piston rings, the promotion of fuel econom by returning the surplus oil to the liquid uel supply of the carbureter so that it is properly carburetered instead of being urned as surplusage in an already perfectly carbureted mixture as is the case when it is drawn past the piston rings, and the conservation of the crank case oil, by pre venting its dilution of non-volatile portions of the liquid fuel which ordinarily are forced past the piston rings by the explosion pressure.

For the attainment of these ends, and the accomplishment of other new and useful objects, as will appear, the invention consists in the provision of means for utilizlng vacuum in removing the surplus oil from the co-acting walls of the piston and cylinder, and in introducing the oil so removed into the liquid fuel supply line of the carburetor. c In the drawings accompanying and formmg a part of my application I have illustrated one embodiment of my said invention, although it will be understood that the same is only one out of a great number of forms in which the inventive idea may be exemplified.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a perspective view, partly diagrammatic, showing an internal combustion engine equipped with my oil conserving system.

Figure 2 is a cross section through one of the cylinders, the piston being shown in elevation. I

Referring now in detail to the several figures, the numeral 1 represents the cylinder block of a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine having the intake manifold 2 to which is attached the carbureter 3, receiving its supply of liquid fuel from the gasoline tank 4, by way of the vacuum tank 5, the latter being intercalated in the gasoline line for the purpose of elevating the liquid fuel so that it may flow to the carburetor by gravitythrough the conduit 6. The vacuum tank elevates the liquid fuel from the gasoline tank by vacuum applied to the chamber of said tank above the liquid levelthereinthrough the conduit 7 which is connected to the intake manifold 2 at a point above the carburetor. This vacuum fuel feeding system is well known, itbeing understood that the vacuum" is created by the action of the pistons of the engine on the suction stroke of said pistons.

.My invention concerns itself with the withdrawal of surplus oil from the -co-acting surfaces of cylinder and piston by vacuum means which may be associated with the vacuum gasoline feeding system as shown, or used independently thereof or in internal combustion engines which may be provided with other means for feeding gasoline to the carburetor.

In Figure 2 is shown a cross section through the cylinder block but taken in the diametrical plane of one of the cylinders, parts thereof being broken away. A piston 8 reciprocates' in said cylinder. Said piston may be ofany approved type, but the one I have chosen to assist in illustrating the invention is novel in construction and forms the subject-matter of a companion application for patent. Said piston is formed at the top and bottom with ring grooves9 and 10 of novel and peculiar form and 'particularly adapted to receive novel piston rings which are described and claimed in still another companion application-for patent. By means of said rings the slight space between the co-acting walls of cylinder and piston is sealed against leakage of gas from the explosion chamber and against passage of the crank case atmosphere into the combustion chamber. practically impossible to construct piston rings which form an absolutel perfect seal; in fact it would be highly un esirable to do so because the passage of oil from the crank case between the piston and cylinder is depended upon for the lubrication of the interengaging parts, and the film of oil retained between these part is itself relied upon for the sealing function. The fault of most engines, and of all engines after they have had sufiicient service to become somewhat It is well' known to be combustion chamber, induced by the high degree of vacuum prevailing in the combustion chamber on the intake stroke of the piston, and particularly just before the opening of the inlet valve. This oil has the tendency to enrich the already perfectly carbureted combustible mixture which enters the cylinder, causing a smoky explosion with consequent carbonization of the walls of the combustion chamber, including the spark plug. In addition,-the oil is wasted since it renders the mixture imperfectly explosive and therefore adds no power to the explosion. Another difliculty encountered in the use of internal combustion engines, and especiall with the low grade fuel of the present ay, is that a certain portion of the fuel entering the combustion chamber is not volatile at engine temperatures and therefore either enters the combustion chamber in liquid form or is condensed against the walls of the combustion chamber when the engine is cold, in either case being forced between the piston and cylinder down into the crank case oil by the ressure developed on the compression stro e of the piston or by the explosion. A small quantity of gasoline or kerosene added'to the crank case oil in this manner is suflic'ient to reduce its viscosity and destroy, to a large extent, its lubricating properties. In order to remove the surplus oil from between the cylinder and piston, or to withdraw whatever liquids or as may leak from the combustion cham er downward or be drawn upward from the crank case, I have provided a 'port 11 in the wall of each cylinder, the walls of said ports being preferably threaded or otherwise provided with means for securing-thereto the conduits 12, which in the preferred embodiment of my invention are branches of the common manifold 13, the latter being connected by means of the conduits 14 and 6 to the liquid fuel inlet of the carburetor. My object in returning the liquids of gas so separated from the lubrication system of the iston and cylinder to the liquid supply of t e carbureter instead of to the intake manifold above the carburetor is to provide for their perfect carburation so that they may form a legitimate art of the com bustible mixture, 'developmg their proportion of power in the engine and not constituting mere surplusage, added to an already perfect mixture.

It is desirable that the surplus oil or other products withdrawn from the space between discharged at a determined rate into'the gasoline line. .For this purpose I have found nothing better than a vacuum tank similar to the one used in the gasoline feeding system, and which I have designated in the drawing by'the reference character 5'. Said vacuum tank discharges intothe gasoline conduit 6 by means of the pipe 15, and the upper end thereof is connected to the vacuum conduit 7 by means of the pipe 16. It is to be understood, however, that the invention is not restricted to the use of the vacuum tank 5 as shown, or to any specific form of tank, nor is it essential that the oil conservingsystem be tied up with the gasohensive to include any means whatsoever for Withdrawing oil, liquid fuel or gases laden with such liquids from the space between the cylinder and piston and for returning them to the liquid fuel side of the carbureter.

The port 11 should be located at such a point in the range of travel of the piston as to be confined at all times between the upper and lower piston rings. Otherwise, were the piston to descend to such a level that said port was freely exposed to the combustion chamber, or were the piston to rise so that the port was open to the atmosphere of the crank case, the vacuum in the intake manifold would be satisfied and the carbureter gine depends for In rication of the walls of the piston and cylinder upon the maintenance of the oil film between said parts. Therefore, to prevent the withdrawal of too much oil through the port 11 I have provided that said ports shall not become fully active until about the time when the maximum vacuum shall have been attained on the suction stroke of the piston, which in most engines occurs just before the opening of the intake valve, or at a time when the piston is about of the waydown. The port 11 is therefore preferably located just above the'bottom ring groove when the piston is at the top dead center, and the piston wall is left hlank for about its length functioning as a valve for substantially maintaining the port 11 closed.- The upper third of the piston wall is formed with a spiral groove 17 which opens at its upper end into a shallow annular roove 18 surrounding the piston just be ow the upper rm groove. From the-time the lower end of 51o spiral groove comes into registry with the port 11, and continuing during the remainder of the combustion stroke, the port 11 communicates vacuum to said spiral roove andthe groove 18, removing thererom the surplus oil and other leakage products which may have accumulated in said grooves. Moreover, under-lubrication need fed to the gasoline from the vacuum tank 5' enters the cylinder with the combustiblemixture, walls.

It is obvious that the specific details of construction and configuration of parts described. herein may be modified in various ways without sacrificing the advantages of the invention or departing from the scope thereof as defined in the appended claims. Having described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is q 1. In an internal combustion engine, including a piston, cylinder and carbureter, means for withdrawing surplus oil from the co-acting walls of said piston and cylinder and for introducing it into the liquid fuel inlet of the, carbureter.

and condenses against the cylinder 2. In an internal combustion engine, in-

cluding a piston, cylinder and carbureter, vacuum means for withdraxvin'g surplus oil from the co-acting walls of said piston and cylinder and for introducing it into the liquid fuel inlet of the carbureter.

' 3. In an internal combustion engine, in-' cluding a piston, cylinder and carbureter, means actuated by the vacuum of the engine for withdrawing surplus oil fromthe co-acting walls of said pistonand cylinder and for introducing it into the liquid fuel. inlet of the carbureter.

4. In an internal combustion engine, a cylinder, a iston therein, said cylinder .being provided? with a port opening inthe Wall thereof at a point within the range of travel of said piston, 'a conduit connecting said port to the liquid fuel supply of said engine,-;a receptacle intercalated in said conduit, and means connected to said receptacle above the liquid level therein for-creating subatmospheric pressure in said receptacle to effect the Withdrawal of surplus oil from the co-acting walls of said cylinderand piston. I

5. In an internal combustion engine, a cylinder, a piston therein, said cylinder being provided with a port opening in the wall thereof at a point within the range of travel of said piston, a conduit'connecting said portto the liquid fuel supply of said engine, a receptacle intercalated in said conduit, and a, conduit connected. to said re- I ceptacle above the liquid level therein, and to the combustible mixture intake of said engine.

6. In an internal combustion engine, a

plurality of cylinders having pistons re- 1 .ciprocably mounted therein, said cylinders being provided. with ports opening in the walls thereof at points within the range of travel of said pistons',.a common manifold connecting said ports, a conduit connecting said manifold to the liquid fuel supply of said .engines,-a receptacle intercalated in said conduit, and means connected to, said receptacle above the liquidvlevel therein for creating vacuum in said receptacle to effect the withdrawal of surplus oil or other leakage products from the co-acting walls of said cylindersand pistons.

7 In combination, an internal combustion engine, having cylinders and pistons, the former being provided with ports opening in the walls thereof at points within the range of travel of said pistons, an intake manifold for said engine, a carbureter, and a liquid fuel supply system including a gasoline tank, a supply conduit connecting said tank and carbureter, a vacuum tank intercalated in said supply conduit, and a vacuum conduit connecting said vacuum tank and said intake manifold, an oil manifold connecting said ports, and a second vacuum tank having a connection to said supply conduit, a connection to said vacuum conduit and fold. 1

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand. I

CORNELIUS s. oLAaK.

a connection to said oil mani- 

